


Above Them, The Sky is Blue

by lionessvalenti



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) - Alternate 2012 Timeline, M/M, Past Mind Control, Post-The Silver Chair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-11 12:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19928071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: Loki has come to Narnia. Rilian doesn't like it.





	Above Them, The Sky is Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aurilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurilly/gifts).



Loki lounged in the throne of Cair Paravel, legs draped over one arm of the massive chair, back leaning against the other. It was good to have a sense of belonging, to revel in the seat of royalty where he belonged. Even if this throne wasn't his, it was nice to borrow while the court was out on a hunt.

"You're still here."

Loki looked up at the sound of King Rilian's voice. He hadn't expected the hunting party back for hours, but apparently the hunt had either gone spectacularly well or terribly wrong. By the look on Rilian's face, he was having a bad day. Or perhaps that was simply the expression he wore when he gazed upon Loki. Their first interaction had not gone well, and this second one wasn't off to a good start, either.

"Just popped in for a visit." Loki drew up one knee far enough so he could rested the bottom of his boot against the ornate arm. "But, dear Rilian, you were out."

To his credit, Rilian did not rise to the bait of Loki sitting in his seat, or disrespecting it with his shoe. He did, however, say, "You will address me as king."

"A king is merely a man born to the right parents," Loki said.

Rilian narrowed his eyes as he walked closer to the throne. He stopped several feet away. "You do not believe that."

Loki smiled. He certainly hadn't, once, but, "I do now."

"If you believed that, you would not sit upon my throne, wanting."

"I assure you, _Rilian_ , I do not want this throne." Loki ran a finger along the back of the chair. "But it is nice to sit upon."

"What do you want, then?" Rilian asked.

Since the Tesseract dumped Loki in Narnia, and refused to let him leave, Loki had asked himself the very same question. It was a land of old magic and he could tap into it as easily as he could on Asgard, but there was a simplicity to this land, at the core of it, that Asgard never had. Right and wrong, good and evil. Loki preferred to live outside such spaces, and here he could create a grey area.

"I'll know it when I see it," Loki replied.

"Do you ever care to go back from where you came?" Rilian asked.

"Where came from is no longer safe for me. Narnia is a much better fit for me at the present." Loki rose from the throne and moved toward Rilian. He was easy to annoy and pleasant to look at -- two of Loki's favorite things in another person. "I don't know how long I'll stay."

Rilian's jaw tightened. "Narnia doesn't fare well with witches."

"I'm not a witch," Loki said, straightening his shoulders. It made him feel taller, though as he stepped closer to Rilian, they were nearly the same height. "I am a god."

"Narnia has no use for gods. We have our beliefs without you."

A slow smile spread across Loki's face. "Well, I suppose that's nice if you like big, golden-haired lions, but the good people and animals of this land may seek an alternative option."

Rilian was quiet for a moment. "And what is it that you seek to find here?"

"Not much. A few followers, a large throne..." Loki brought his hand up to Rilian's cheek. "The company of a king."

Rilian was shaking beneath Loki's touch, though not in anticipation of Loki's overtures, but fear. Loki could see it in his eyes, a fear that ran deep. "I will not be bewitched again."

"Again?" Loki touched his index finger to the middle of Rilian's head, and his mind was filled with images of a woman in green, a dark suit of armor, a silver chair, and a giant serpent. His lungs felt tight and constricted in his chest. Every part of him was controlled and minded, right down to his very breath. He pulled his hand away with a gasp.

"What was that?" Rilian asked, stumbling backwards, clutching his head. "What have you done to me?"

"Nothing worse than what has already been done." 

Loki considered those he had manipulated on Midgard to do his will. Had they been trapped in such a way? If so, no wonder everyone so angry about it.

"Leave," Rilian said, more forcefully than he had said anything to Loki all day. And yet, he sounded on the verge of tears. "If you will not leave Narnia, leave Cair Paravel, and do not return."

"I can take this burden from you," Loki said, which did not appear to be the response Rilian had expected, as evidenced by his dumbfounded expression. Loki took the silence as an invitation to move close to him again. "You don't have to remember the things that were done to you."

Rilian continued to stare. "If I do not remember how will I prevent it from happening again?"

"I can help with that, too." Loki ran his index finger along the length of Rilian's jaw. "My dear king."

"I told you to leave," Rilian said in a hoarse whisper. "I cannot trust you."

"Nor should you," Loki said, and kissed him softly on the mouth. Lips brushing together, he added, "You're very wise."

"Your flattery will get you nowhere, witch." Rilian did not pull away, however, to Loki's surprise.

Loki huffed a sigh through his nose. "I told you, I'm not a witch. You should call me by my name."

Slowly, Rilian smiled, like the sun breaking through the clouds. "Why would I, when calling you witch riles you so?"

It was then that Loki had realized his mistake. He had taken Rilian for a fool, when in fact, they were quite alike, enjoying the company of those who were nice to look at, and easy to annoy. Perhaps Loki would find a use for him yet. He would know it when he saw it.

"If you must." Loki then kissed him again.


End file.
